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Meeting Information



Full_Commission

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CITY ANDCOUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO

JUVENILE PROBATION COMMISSION

 

 

 

JUVENILE PROBATION COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING

 

 

Regular Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

5:30 p.m.

City Hall, Room 408

#1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place

San Francisco, CA 94102

 

 

Commissioners

Rebecca Woodson, President

Katharine Albright, Vice President

Dirk Beijen

Jacqueline Lingad Ricci

Ellouise Patton

Susana Rojas

 

 

Meeting Minutes

 

1.      Roll call 
The Commission President called the meeting to order at 5:50 PM.  Commissioners Albright, Beijen, Rojas and Woodson were present.  Commissioner Lingad Ricci was excused.  Commissioner Patton was not present.  The Department was represented by William Siffermann, Chief Probation Officer. 

2.   Public Comment
No public comments.

3.   Review and Approval of Full Commission Minutes from January 29, 2009 and the Finance Committee Minutes of February 18, 2009 Meeting (ACTION ITEM)

Motion to approve the minutes by Commissioner Woodson, second by Commissioner Albright, and approved by the rest of the Commission. 

4.  Presentation by Dr. Rochelle Dicker, Director of Wraparound Project
(DISCUSSION)

·        Dr. Rochelle Dicker presented the Wraparound Project and introduced the three case managers, Javier Antezana, Ricardo Garcia Acosta and Michael Texada.  The program was created to deflect recidivism that was happening in the hospital.  The recidivism rate is a high as 55% and is on the rise. 

·        The case managers provide the prevention for recidivism.  They link clients with our community resources and provide the critical mentorship that many young people are missing at the time that they are injured. 

·        They finished an economic analysis and it would take only one person to be saved from re-injury for Wraparound to be cost neutral. 

·        Mr. Antezana added that these kids are not getting re-incarcerated.  The case managers go to the bedside once individuals are shot, at their most vulnerable state, and activate a series of crisis response teams that work within the community.  They have been well received with the probation officers and would suggest a monthly check-in to identify the individuals that have been impacted by trauma. 

·        Dr. Dicker added that the backbone of the program are the case managers.  The three key components of the program are the cultural competency at a critical moment; being able to really shepherd people directly to risk reduction resources; and the long term follow up. 

·        No public comments. 

 

5.   Vote to Approve Budget Letter to Mayor Newsom (DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEM)

·        Commissioner Beijen motioned to approve letter, second by Commissioner Rojas, and approved by the rest of the Commission. 

·        No public comments.

 

6.   Notice of Committee Assignments (DISCUSSION)

·        The Programs Committee is the only active committee, which consist of Commissioners Beijen, Albright and Rojas.  All other committees are on hiatus until all vacancies on the Commission have been filled. 

·        No public comments. 

7.   General Discussion if Commission Certificate of Recognition (DISCUSSION ONLY)

·        The idea is to recognize people in the department, Commission, CBO’s, and youths who have made a significant contribution to youths in our community and who are served by the department.  The item is to remind everyone about the program and to solicit any names that should be recognized.  The timeline for distributing these certificates will be presented at the next full Commission meeting.

·        No public comments. 

8.   Reports to the Commission (DISCUSSION ONLY)
a.  Chief’s Report

1.  YASI Update

·        Youth Assessment and Screening Instrument (YASI), presented by Garry Beirenger, Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiatives Coordinator. 

·        YASI is based on the concepts of best practices and Evidence Based Practices (EBP).  YASI assessment is a means to an end, with the end result being the development of a case plan that is going to reduce recidivism. 

·        EBP is an approach to treatment.  A key effort is to use the YASI as a dispositional report.  YASI allows us to identify kids who are high-risk. 

·        The cultural competency is based on the level of the probation officer who is working with that young person. 

·        Commissioner Woodson inquired about the “means to an end,” which is the reduction of recidivism, and wanted to know when facts and figures would be available. 

·        No public comments. 

2.  Status of the following:

·        Obtaining state fund for transitional placement:  Chief Siffermann said they do not have exact figures, but is part of a comprehensive plan for LCR.  Ms. Allison Magee, Director of Administrative Services, said that they have $2 million dollars from the state through ESPY 81 and hope to have a clinical social worker at LCR to help with therapeutic programming.  By having two probation officers, they would work on transition planning and aftercare. 

·        Sale/lease LCR property:  Chief Siffermann said the Meditation Society visited LCR for a possible headquarter site and toured the Hidden Valley Ranch facility.  Another proposal involves Hidden Valley Ranch as a workforce development Green-Tech Educational Academy available for 18-25 year olds SF residents.    

·        JJC mini-grants:  Ms. Toni Powell, Director of Juvenile Hall, reported that the department received a grant from the Zellerbach Company.  They are working to have the staff more involved in programming.  The goal is to have at least one grant functioning on each unit.  Ms. Powell described the “World is Yours” program, which is a travel program where videos of different countries are shown to youths.  The goal is to expand their horizon and bring cultural awareness. 
Commissioner Woodson asked Ms. Powell for a “World is Yours” presentation. 

·        No public comments.

·        CSA inspection and submission of CAP Plan (per letter dated 2/17/09):  Chief Siffermann submitted the action plan to CAP in December.  JPD had an exit interview and they are in compliance, except with the year-round school issue.  He received a letter from Kevin Kerr, Principal of the Juvenile Court Schools, which said the Unified School District is not in a position to offer year-round school.  According to CSA, year-round school should be including summer, breaks over the holidays, and any traditional spring break.  Commissioner Albright asked if the school district will do the long-extended summer vacation, but will not do the two-week winter, one-week spring and one-week summer breaks.  The Chief confirmed and said that they will be able to adjust the summer program to be in compliance.  He read the final paragraph from the California Education Code, “Juvenile Court Schools shall not be closed on any week day of the calendar year, except those week days adopted by the Board of Education, as school holidays or set aside by the Board of Education, for in-service purposes.  However, the Board of Education may close Juvenile Court Schools when it deems such closing is necessary to accommodate contingencies.” 
Commissioner Woodson asked if there was any case law or advisory opinion that interprets the language and if there is any precedence for the contingencies. 
Commissioner Albright added that if the County Board of Education were to declare certain days a holiday and still meet the requirements of instructional time for the purposes of the Education Code, then they could make declarations that certain days are holidays and therefore, they would be complying with both the Education Code and the Department would also be complying in providing the mandated time for school year.  If the Board of Education were to declare what was a vacation day, under the Education Code, it may give more definition and allow for compliance. 

·        No public comments.

3.  Date of presentation to community of stakeholders regarding plans for Log Cabin Ranch (in April)

b.  Committee Reports

·        Programs:  Commissioner Beijen said the Committee had two presentations.  The first was by the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ) and its mission is to reduce incarceration.  It includes the Detention Diversion Alternative Program, known as DDAP.  CJCJ works with other agencies to provide Wraparound services to youth.  The second presentation was by Mark Morris Associates and described the Zellerbach grant.  This grant funded work to help the department with organizational development, implementing evidence based practices, and strengthen community ties.

·        No public comments.

 

9.   New Business/Future Agenda Items (DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM)

      Retreat

·        Continued updates concerning developments at LCR;

·        Updates from Chief Siffermann regarding CSA inspection and whether there was a hearing in Sacramento or any other developments;

·        Updates from Chief Siffermann regarding the management meeting regarding the certificate discussed in item 7.  Commissioner Beijen will amend the certificate language to propose a quarterly review and recognition for review by the full Commission;

·        Commission President will be meeting with Judge Hitchens regarding an appointment to the commission.  Filling vacancies is a priority. 

·        Will discuss the Retreat when all vacancies are filled. 

·        No public comments.

 

10. Adjournment (ACTION ITEM)

The meeting adjourned at 7:27 PM.